Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cops In Conn. Train In Mental Health 101
The intersection of law enforcement and mental health has been a huge issue in Connecticut since the Newtown shootings. One department is training 20 percent of its officers to handle people with mental illnesses better.
Health Law Requires Medicare To Cover Dementia Evaluation
But an influential panel of experts says there isn’t enough evidence to recommend screening tests for the public.
Nearly 4 Million Seriously Mentally Ill Still Without Insurance
In states that agreed to expand Medicaid, about 3 million people who have those conditions are now eligible for coverage, however the 24 states that refused the Medicaid expansion have nearly millions with severe mental illness without insurance.
UCLA Memory Program Offers ‘Gym For Your Brain’
Games, stories, tai chi and dancing help patients — and caregivers — cope with memory loss
Technology Helps Bridge Gap In Michigan’s Mental Health Care
Overwhelmed mental health professionals are using telephone consultations and other approaches to reach patients in underserved communities.
New Insurance Policies Must Cover Mental Illness
Anyone who buys a plan through the new online marketplaces will find mental health services covered as one of 10 “essential health benefits.”
Doors To Treatment Opening For Poor Illinoisans Struggling With Mental Illness
Federal and state laws expand psychiatric coverage, but some experts fear care will be in short supply.
In Los Angeles, there’s a concerted effort to enroll the homeless into Medicaid, as the federal-state health insurance program opens for the first time to all poor adults.
Promises To Fix Mental Health System Still Unfulfilled
Even for those with the will and drive to pursue treatment, the process remains difficult, frightening and full of holes. On the federal level, little has come from the task forces and promises that followed the Newtown shootings.
Coverage Options For Young Adults Who Have A Mental Illness
A reader asks: Where can my son with a mental illness find coverage once he turns 26 and can’t be on our family insurance anymore?
Mental Health Parity Rule Clarifies Standards For Treatment Limits
Jennifer Mathis of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law talks with KHN’s consumer columnist.
Detailing Long-Awaited Mental Health Parity Law Regulations
The Obama administration released the final rules Friday for 1996 and 2008 laws that expanded the kinds of mental health and substance abuse care insurers must cover. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and CQ HealthBeat’s Rebecca Adams discuss.
Health Law Brings Changes In How Therapists Do Business
Mom-and-Pop shops give way to large group practices that often accept discounted rates from insurers.
Oregon Experiment Puts Therapists On Primary Care Teams
Medicaid patients can see different kinds of doctors in one visit, and the hope is it will provide better patient care, eventually at less cost to the state.
‘Peers’ Seen Easing Mental Health Worker Shortage
Peer programs such as Georgia’s “certified peer specialist” licenses could become especially important once the Affordable Care Act takes effect early next year.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection.
Pittsburgh Researchers Look For Ways To Prevent Depression In Seniors
The study is examining whether offering support for older adults with chronic illnesses, pain and cognitive problems can stave off the serious mental health issues.
Getting Help For Depression Is Important
Recommended interventions for seniors include prescription drugs, problem-solving therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and interpersonal therapy.
Minnesota Ranked Best State For Seniors
Mississippi, Oklahoma are least healthy states for people over 65, according to a United Health Foundation analysis of 34 measures of health.
Colorado Weighs Reopening A Psychiatric Hospital To Serve The Homeless
A proposal by Gov. John Hickenlooper would bring mentally ill and addicted homeless people to Fort Lyon, a one-time mental hospital, then prison, that’s been shuttered for two years. The patients would voluntarily come to the institution. And the tiny town of Las Animas would welcome the jobs that reopening the facility would create.
